Sati is the memory faculty, not "bare awareness" (illustrated): the elephant never forgets

The elephant never forgets 

"Do you gentlemen remember that safari 34 years, 5 months, and 3 days ago?
When you landed a lucky shot and blinded a baby elephant in the left eye?

You laughed as I limped and ran to safety.

You said, 'let's chase after him and shoot his other eye',

The other one said, 'no, let's go after his mom.'

Fortunately, your lousy hunting skills left the rest of my herd relatively unscathed.

Guess what? Baby's all grown up. and it's payback time.

Are you laughing now?
I'm here to collect an old debt, with interest. 
Two eyes for an eye. From each of you."

sati = rememberfulness = "mindfulness"

Katamañca, bhikkhave, satindriyaṃ?	And what is the faculty of rememberfulness?
Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako satimā hoti paramena satinepakkena samannāgato cirakatampi cirabhāsitampi saritā anussaritā—	It’s when a noble-one's-disciple is rememberful. They have utmost rememberfulness and lucid-discerning, and can remember and recall what was said and done long ago.
idaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, satindriyaṃ.	This is called the faculty of rememberfulness.

Sati remembers and applies the Dharma every moment.

Sati is absolutely not some zombie choiceless bare awareness just watching "without judging".

Sati judges, lucidly discerns, and is always ready to take appropriate response immediately if and when necessary.

The elephant never forgets, as bodhi tree leaves rain the Dharma down on him

why are elephants famous for not forgetting?

ChatGPT said:

Elephants are often said to have excellent memories, a reputation that has been backed by research and observation. There are several reasons why elephants are known for their remarkable memory:

1. Brain Size and Structure

Elephants have large and complex brains, weighing around 4-5 kg (nearly three times heavier than a human brain). Their cerebral cortex, responsible for memory, communication, and learning, is highly developed. This enables them to process and store a large amount of information over time.

2. Social Memory

Elephants are highly social animals and live in matriarchal family groups. The matriarch, or the oldest female, relies on her memory to keep track of the herd’s movement, water sources, seasonal changes, and potential threats. Her ability to remember the location of these critical resources, even after years, can ensure the survival of her family during droughts or in new environments.

3. Recognition of Individuals

Elephants can recognize and remember hundreds of different individuals, including both other elephants and humans, even after long periods of separation. This is crucial for maintaining social bonds and avoiding conflicts with known rivals.

4. Long-Term Threat Avoidance

Elephants have been observed to remember traumatic experiences, such as attacks by predators or encounters with humans. This ability helps them avoid dangerous areas or aggressive individuals. There are instances of elephants steering clear of specific locations where they’ve experienced harm, even many years later.

5. Behavioral Studies

Studies have shown that elephants can recall routes and specific details about their environment years after visiting an area. They also display behaviors indicative of memory, such as reacting to the bones of deceased family members with behaviors that suggest recognition and mourning.

These cognitive abilities, combined with their long lifespan (up to 60–70 years), contribute to the adage that "an elephant never forgets."

elephants Walk 12 Hours Every Year To Pay Respect To Human Friend Who Passed Away 7 Years Ago

article: https://worldofbuzz.com/elephants-walk-12-hours-every-year-to-pay-respect-to-human-friend-who-passed-away-7-years-ago/

summary: 

Elephants are known for their complex social behaviors, and one remarkable example involves their mourning of Lawrence Anthony, a conservationist who passed away in 2012. Lawrence Anthony, often referred to as the "Elephant Whisperer," dedicated much of his life to rescuing and rehabilitating elephants at the Thula Thula Reserve in South Africa.

After Anthony's death, a group of wild elephants that he had previously worked with made a surprising journey to his home. The elephants, led by two matriarchs, traveled for over 12 hours from their habitat to stand vigil outside his house, seemingly paying their respects. They stayed for two days before quietly returning to their own territory.

This event has been interpreted as a demonstration of the deep bond Anthony had formed with these animals and their ability to express grief and understanding in ways that resemble human mourning.

Those 2 herds make this trek every year,  on the anniversary of Anthony's death date.

They also learned about Anthony's death in the first place, without anyone telling them (they are a 12 hours march away!)
 

That requires great memory (sati), lucid discerning (sampajāno) to do all that. Elephants don't have calendars. Think about that.